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Newcastle United ‘target’ Daniel James to sign for Manchester United – Sky Sports

There had been much media speculation in recent days that Newcastle United could land the exciting 21 year old winger.

However, Sky Sports have reported on Friday morning that Manchester United are now ‘close’ to completing a deal.

Transfer deals and speculation are always surrounded by much smoke and mirrors.

However, what we do know for sure as Newcastle fans, is that Rafa Benitez has still not signed a new contract.

Mike Ashley happy to let things drag on, with the manager set to take charge of his final game in 48 hours time, unless an extension is agreed.

The Newcastle United owner could have sorted this a year ago, months ago. weeks ago…but the club is just being allowed to drift towards potential/probable disaster.

Many Newcastle fans doubt that Mike Ashley has any serious intention of trying to persuade Rafa Benitez to stay.

Even if a new contract is belatedly agreed, this very unnecessary delay could have major consequences for NUFC, even with the Spaniard still at the helm.

Ahead of every transfer window, Benitez says how important it is to act early and land your targets.

In recent weeks he has repeated that, saying every day that goes by without a new contract being agreed, harms Newcastle United in delaying getting started on plans for this summer and next season.

Maybe Daniel James is a player Rafa wanted and felt he could land, maybe not.

What we do know is that delaying the confirmation of who will be manager, means no transfer market decisions can be made, whether that is Daniel James or whoever.

Newcastle were bottom of the Premier League with no wins in their first 10 games this season, due in large part to a refusal of Mike Ashley to properly back Rafa Benitez AND a refusal to allow signings to be made in good time. This meant Salomon Rondon and others had next to no/zero summer preparation with their new teammates.

It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious.

The Mag – 8 May 2019:

Newcastle United are one of two Premier League clubs interested in signing Daniel James according to reports on Wednesday morning.

A report from Wales Online says that their information is that it is NUFC and Bournemouth who have been tracking the player and shown an active interest this season.

This follows earlier claims in the media saying that Liverpool and Man Utd were following the player and considering bidding for the winger, Wales Online saying those top six club claims are not true.

In a difficult season for Swansea, Daniel James has been a big positive and one of their best players in the Championship.

After relegation, the Welsh club lost a host of first team players, including Ki Sung-yeung and Federico Fernandez, with financial pressures playing a big part.

With a lower parachute payment to be banked next season, after finishing only tenth this season, Swansea could/would find it difficult to hold onto the exciting winger.

His first season of regular first team football, the 21 year old has played in 33 of Swansea’s 46 Championship games and scored four goals.

The situation is time sensitive for Swansea as well, with the player only having one year left on his contract. The Swans are trying to get Daniel James to sign a contract extension because whilst if he did run his contract down and left next summer they would be entitled to development compensation, but it would be nowhere near his market value.

Manager Graham Potter has admitted the winger might now have played his final game for the club.

Whilst on the international stage, Wales have high hopes.

Daniel James made his senior debut against Albania in November and then in March this year, started his first competitive game for his country, an excellent goal that was enough to beat Martin Dubravka and his Slovakian teammates in a European Championship qualifier.

This is another one to add to the list of claimed Newcastle United transfer targets and whilst none of us know whether it is pure speculation or not, there are an increasing number of young British players being linked to NUFC, fitting in with Mike Ashley’s idea/insistence of concentrating on signing young potential growing in value players.

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